This invention relates generally to determining the position of transmitters. More particularly, the invention relates to a computerized system for locating individuals having a particular expertise.
Computers have proliferated to every aspect of society. Commerce is no exception. Customers have become familiar and at least somewhat comfortable with interacting with informational kiosks as well as conducting electronic transactions with point of sale terminals. While the informational kiosks can provide the answers to general questions, it is rare that the specialized questions can be answered or indeed anticipated. Therefore, there remains a need to locate the store employee with the expertise for the particular problem of the customer.
At present, customers are forced to wander the aisles of the store in search of the specific employee who can help them. While it often possible to identify employees by sight because of a uniform, most customers, unless they frequent a store, have problems locating the one or group of employees most knowledgeable about the customer""s questions.
The present invention proposes a solution to this problem.
The invention locates store employees by receiving a set of unique signature transmissions by a set of receivers on the store. Each transmission emanates from a badge worn by a store employee. In a database, each unique signature with an employee and employee biographical information, including an expertise of an employee. The transmissions from the badges are used to locate employees in the store. Responsive to a user request for employees having a given expertise, a store map is displayed on an informational kiosk wherein showing the location of the employees having the given expertise.